By Dave Branco

Growing pains coming to Prince George

Apr 17, 2026 | 3:35 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – Prince George is bracing for a wave of workers and residents as the province moves ahead with the North Coast Transmission Line, a project that promises economic opportunity but is already straining a city unprepared for rapid growth.

Mayor Simon Yu says roughly 6,000 additional workers have arrived in the Prince George area over the past year alone, a figure he attributes to early activity around the province’s major industrial push. The city’s unemployment rate now sits at 4.6 percent, well below the provincial average and nearly 2.1 percentage points under the national rate.

But Yu says those numbers are a double-edged signal. A tight labour market reflects a thriving economy, but it also reflects the pressure bearing down on housing, roads and city services before the full wave of development has even begun.

The North Coast Transmission Line, a $10-billion-plus nation-building project backed by the B.C. government and BC Hydro, is designed to twin the existing 500-kilovolt corridor running roughly 450 kilometres from Prince George to Terrace. Once operational, the province says it will support approximately 9,700 full-time jobs, add nearly $10 billion annually to GDP and generate around $950 million in public revenues each year.

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Construction is expected to begin in summer 2026, with phased completion targeted for 2032 to 2034.

Yu says the city has the land to absorb the growth. Prince George’s boundaries span the equivalent of two Victorias, but the water and sewer infrastructure is concentrated in certain areas. He’s calling for mid-density infill development, a ring road, and long-term planning for a city of up to 200,000 people.

To finance infrastructure ahead of demand, the mayor says he’s exploring tools, including pressing both the provincial government and Ottawa for support.

“We have to be really, really prepared and in very short order,” Yu said.

by Dave Branco

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Growing pains coming to Prince George

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